Namaste

Well Guys it has been a few days since our last post and life has been pretty dull for two international travellers but I will fill you in on a few things so you can share the bizarre and bum numbing bumpy bus moments with us!!!

After we left you last we were on the lookout for somewhere that sold beer in Kochi. Kerala is a semi dry state so it is difficult unless you find a hotel or as we found out a restaurant with a crafty get out. It was Saturday evening and we had just eaten the worst curry ever and decided to go for a beer, we passed a restaurant where everyone appeared to be drinking tea but when we sat down we found the teapots were filled with cold beer and you had to drink it from a mug!!!! This is commonly known around Kerala as special tea, the thing is they serve you tea in a glass so work that one out.....Needless to say we spent the rest of the evening on special tea, we got back to the guest house to find we had been locked out and had to wake up someone to let us in, it was only 11.30pm!!!!

Next day we had no plans at all but did have a great meal in the hotel around the corner from us, this place looked good from the outside and was even better inside but I suppose at 200 quid a night it should have been. I asked the waiter if I could look around a room so I could see what I was missing and he obliged. Mel didn't come for a look as she couldn't bear it and I wish I hadn't have bothered the place was amazing with roll top bath and flatscreen TV with huge bed all in a colonial style, I went back to report to Mel and cry over my dinner, which was delicious.

Nearly all of Monday afternoon and evening was spent on a bus which took us away from Kerala and across country into Tamil Nadu and the town of Coimbatore.The journey itself was OK and the seats were comfortable although when we did stop a swarm of drunken Indian men proceeded to ask us stupid questions and generally be a pain in the ass so we got back onto the bus where they could not get us!!!!

By the time we reached Coimbatore it was 9pm and we were desperate for a shower and food in that order which we got then funnily enough again we got talking to drunk Indian men (women can't go into bars or smoke!!!) who worked for HSBC and wanted to sort out our bank account for us even though we don't bank with them!!!!

Must make a note to steer clear of drunk Indian men they can be tiresome after a while!!!!

We had 5 hours sleep then it was up for 4am to catch the 5am train to Mettupalyum to make our connection with the steam train to take us into the hills where it would be cooler and the town called Udhagamandalam but luckily everyone calls it Ooty for short which pleased us a lot!!!

We wound our way through the hills and it took us 5 hours to travel 46km and at one point there were 16 people in a 10 person carriage, you could feel the temperature drop as we got closer to Ooty, the scenery on the way was pretty but the town itself is just like any other Indian town (dirty,dusty and noisy) which is a shame although all people seem to do is throw rubbish onto the street even if there is a bin next to them.

We have 2 nights in Ooty before trying to get to Chennai on the east coast of India and from here we hope to change our flight and go to the Andaman islands a few days earlier than planned, but will keep you all posted.

Will post again soon as I want to try and reach the 250 post mark before the end of the trip!!!!!

Lots of Love

M & Mxx